Saturday was such a different feeling for Butler. Gone were the heads-down blank stares and silent strolls off the court. In their place: Joyous bear hugs, smiles stretching ear-to-ear, not to mention one enormous exhale.

There's no telling how significant Saturday's win could be. Except for a lopsided loss at Creighton last week, Butler has been competitive in every league game. Not until Marquette had the Bulldogs proved they could control a game down the stretch.

"It came down to being tough," said forward Kameron Woods. "When we went into overtime, our thought process was different. The way this went into overtime, it's tough, mentally, for a player. But coach (Brandon) Miller reminded us how we had pretty much dominated the second half. And that really helped."

The Bulldogs' next test arrives Tuesday when they travel to Providence to face a hot Friars squad that has won three straight, including impressive double-digit home victories over Georgetown and Creighton.

Having faced four of the Big East's top teams in their first six league games, Butler's upcoming stretch eases. After Providence, they host St. John's (winless in conference play) on Saturday then travel to Seton Hall (2-3 in league play) next Tuesday.

Saturday's gritty triumph could have been just what these battle-tested Bulldogs needed.

For Miller, steady in the fashion of his even-keeled predecessor, nothing changed amid the program's longest losing streak in a decade.

"If you would've have seen us at practice, you'd see that we haven't been in a funk," he said. "The one thing that's been consistent is our approach. That's been the great thing: Guys coming to the practice floor every day knowing what it takes to win."

As the losses piled up — five in a row to begin Big East play — Miller stayed the course. His lineup remained unchanged, his style steady and his scheme the same. The defense would have to improve, and it did Saturday. The Bulldogs held Marquette to just 49 points in regulation, and just 17 over the final 21 minutes. Butler scored 41 over the same stretch.

Miller sees a lesson in his squad's mid-season trials, believing the tests of such a skid will slowly teach his team what it takes to win in this league.

"Our guys deserved the result they got Saturday," Miller said. "It's good for our team to play in a game that's tight, and comes down to a couple possessions."

Have they turned a corner, or was Saturday's late-game surge simply a long-awaited reversal of fortune?

"Good teams close, I don't care what sport it is," said Marquette's Buzz Williams. "NFL, NCAA football, NCAA basketball, that's that close win. Teams that don't close lose. They're a good team."

As a guard for Butler in the early 2000s, Miller played in seven overtime games in three years. In his first half-season as a head coach, he's coached in six.

Butler has played in nine games decided by one possession or in overtime.

Are more on the horizon? The way this season is going, it's difficult to expect anything different. For Butler's sake, the Bulldogs hope a renewed sense of confidence brings more results like Saturday's.

Comment: Eight of the Friars' 18 games this season have been decided by four points or fewer; they have gone 5-3 in those games. Conversely, Butler has played in six such games, going 2-4. Tuesday's meeting is the first between Butler and Providence.

THE BULLDOGS (11-7, 1-5 Big East)

Coach: Brandon Miller.

Name

Pos.

Ht.

Class

PPG

Key stat

Alex Barlow

G

5-11

Jr.

6.1

3.7 rpg

4 steals vs. Marquette; 2nd in Big East in that category

Kellen Dunham

G

6-6

So.

18.4

3.6 rpg

Scored in double figures 15 times this season

Khyle Marshall

F

6-6

Sr.

15.8

5.4 rpg

Practiced with team Sunday and will start Tuesday (ankle)

Erik Fromm

F

6-8

Sr.

7.3

3.6 rpg

Made two critical 3-pointers vs. Marquette Saturday

Kameron Woods

F

6-9

Jr.

9.1

9.9 rpg

10 or more rebounds in 4 straight games; leads Big East in rebounds

Andrew Chrabascz

Key sub

6-7

Fr.

4.4

3.4 rpg

Playing his first college game in home state of Rhode Island.

Comment: Butler will be playing its first game in the state of Rhode Island. Four of Bulldogs' next five games are on the road.